


qui tombe, qui tombe

by honeyjeong



Category: NCT (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Rhode Island - Freeform, Strangers to Lovers, Summer, boys fall in love on the east coast, they spend a lot of time by the ocean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28947285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyjeong/pseuds/honeyjeong
Summary: “Tell me your story,” Jaehyun voices once the salt water is lapping at their ankles.Jeongguk pries his eyes away from the neverending ocean and gives Jaehyun a small smile. He has a mole under his bottom lip. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave my mom. I think I’ll be stuck in Busan forever. Get a degree in a subject I hate, a job I hate even more. Marry some girl my mom approves of, have a couple kids.”“Hate your life.”“Hm, hate my life.”
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	qui tombe, qui tombe

**Author's Note:**

> i've been riding this jaekook train for so long now its about fucking time i  
> wrote something. this is for em, thank you for being my east coast. i love you. 
> 
> enjoy!

_May._

The afternoon sun beats down on the road, producing waves of heat that distort reality in a way Jaehyun has never been able to comprehend. He tears his eyes away from the gravel and focuses on the rack of old clothes in front of him. Class of 1998, Henry’s Electric Company, Harley Davidson. He sighs, moving to the dad jeans. 

Jaehyun is checking the price tag on a pair of light blue Levi’s when he hears the soft chime of a bell, signifying someone has entered the thrift store. He doesn’t bother looking up, knowing it’s probably another local escaping the unforgiving Rhode Island summer. 

“Jeon, is that you? Oh, c’mere! Lemme get a look at you!” The elderly woman behind the register doesn’t hide her excitement, “My boy, my boy, I’ve missed you! Your hair! Your ma lets you keep it that long?” 

“She hates it,” a bashful chuckle follows the boy’s accented English, “She keeps telling me to cut it.” 

Jaehyun’s interest is piqued. He glances at the commotion, attempting to appear like he’s not eavesdropping. There stands the lady, an entire head shorter than the boy, reaching up on her tiptoes to ruffle at his wavy hair. He wears a content smile and Jaehyun can tell he feels loved with the fussing. Maybe he missed it, only visiting the small town once a year with family. Or maybe Jaehyun is just projecting. 

“She wanted me to invite you for lunch tomorrow,” Jeon voices, his dictation clear despite English not being his first language. Jaehyun grabs the jeans he still has in his hands and walks towards the counter. “You can bring Molly too.” 

“That would be lovely, she’ll be so happy to see you. Maybe ya can take her down to the beach, she hasn’t gotten a good swim in yet. How long are you here for?” 

Jeon finally seems to notice Jaehyun’s presence and steps aside, bowing his head slightly in respect. Jaehyun wonders if he’s Korean. The closer he gets to the boy, the more apparent the speckles of honey in his eyes and the slight redness on his cheekbones becomes. He’s pretty. Kind. 

Jaehyun sets the jeans on the counter and takes out his wallet. 

“Okay, dear, you look around and find something you like while I do this,” the woman addresses Jeon as she walks behind the register, “Did’ya find everything alright, honey?” 

Jaehyun smiles, “I did, thank you.” 

“Good, that’ll be five thirty-seven.” 

He hands the owner six dollars and tells her to keep the change. When he leaves the shop, the air feels suffocating and hot. Without looking back, Jaehyun guides his bike to the street and mounts it. The Levi’s sit in the basket attached to his handlebars. He could go back home and make small talk with his busy father, or listen to his mother nag him about the upcoming college semester. He would rather melt into the potholes of the scorching road.

The bell chimes again and footsteps travel in the air. 

“Hey! Wait!” It’s Jeon. He’s waving and jogging and looks scared out of his mind. Jaehyun wants to laugh. 

The first thing he says to the frantic boy is in his mother tongue, “Do you speak Korean?” 

Jeon’s eyes widen slightly but he quickly recovers, nodding and fluently responding, “I do. What’s your name?” 

“Jaehyun.” 

“Jeongguk,” Jeongguk licks his lips and Jaehyun follows the movement, “Do you want to go to the water?”

Jaehyun looks away, pretending to contemplate it. He swishes the question around like mouthwash and deems it interesting enough. He offers a firm nod and motions for Jeongguk to step on the back pegs of his bike. The boy obediently abides and doesn’t hesitate to rest his hands on Jaehyun’s shoulders. 

They ride like that all the way to the empty beach, Jaehyun careful not to hit any bumps or go too fast down the hills. The sun is high in the sky as the taller boy drops his bike in the sand. They toe their shoes off and walk towards the shore. 

“Tell me your story,” Jaehyun voices once the salt water is lapping at their ankles. 

Jeongguk pries his eyes away from the neverending ocean and gives Jaehyun a small smile. He has a mole under his bottom lip. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave my mom. I think I’ll be stuck in Busan forever. Get a degree in a subject I hate, a job I hate even more. Marry some girl my mom approves of, have a couple kids.”

“Hate your life.”

“Hm, hate my life.” 

Jaehyun nods, he knows. God, does he fucking know. There’s silence after that and they breathe in sync with the waves. There’s not another soul on this tiny piece of paradise and maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be. For just this afternoon, they can pretend this beach in South Kingstown has never known footsteps that aren’t theirs. 

The boys make snow angels in the golden sand and turn the color of cherry tomatoes. Sweat drips down the collars of their cotton t-shirts but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. At one point, Jaehyun walks into the water fully clothed and screams. He yells until his voice cracks and the oxygen leaves his lungs. Jeongguk looks on in shock, mouth slack and eyes concerned. Until he laughs. He laughs so hard for so long and Jaehyun thinks he could record the sound and put it on repeat. 

They don’t make it home before dinner. Jaehyun navigates the familiar streets on his bike while the sun sets and the temperature dwindles. The bird’s song is the soundtrack to a secret neither boy will ever tell. 

Jaehyun’s mom pesters him with questions the second he walks in the door and he doesn’t answer any of them. He spends an unnecessary amount of time in the shower washing grains of rock and minerals out of his brown hair and staring as they flow down the drain. Never to be seen again. 

_June._

“Say it again!” Jaehyun yells with feign annoyance. 

Jeongguk shakes his head, lips slightly quirked up. He’s nervous and it shows. His slender fingers reach under his draping sweater, twisting at the fabric of his swim trunks. The hazy beginnings of sunrise dance across his skin, painting him in beaming oranges and delicate pinks. He is so righteous, and so deserving. His hands tremble when he goes to pay for his food, and his voice catches when he gets excited. Jaehyun thinks- no, he _knows_. He knows with every fiber in his insignificant being that the sky belongs to him. 

“Say. It. Again.” 

“Fine,” Jeongguk sniffs, his nose scrunching up, “I’m worthy.” 

Jaehyun hops off of the boulder he was perched on and stands beside the boy, their hands brushing. There’s a slight breeze from the sea and he can see goosebumps littering Jeongguk’s neck. He reaches up and slides his middle finger along the tan skin, feeling the younger shiver. “Louder. With conviction.” 

“I’m worthy!” The flame is lit and it will burn until it physically can’t anymore. “I’M WORTHY!”

Jaehyun wraps his arms around Jeongguk’s thighs, lifting him high into the air and spinning. Childlike laughter mingles with the sound of the morning current. A strong wave is approaching and the older knows exactly what he needs to do. Still tightly holding Jeongguk, he runs into the water. 

It’s a revolutionary feeling. To be so fucking cold yet set ablaze, skin tingling and cheeks numb. Jaehyun’s body is going into shock, and for the first time in his boring, tragic life, he has purpose. His hoodie is soaking wet and his stomach growls but Jeongguk’s teeth are showing and he has to catch his breath from how hard he’s laughing. 

“You’re fucking crazy!” Jeongguk yells over the ocean, “I hate you so much! Fuck!” 

Jaehyun grins back, slowly lowering the boy into the water in front of him. He keeps a secure grip on his waist. Their faces are close enough to mold into one. Jeongguk has freckles across his nose, like tiny seeds waiting to be nurtured. “We’re a piece of the Earth now. Forever.” 

Jeongguk relaxes, eyes shining like marble. “You and me.” 

“You and I.” 

“Fuck you.” 

“Shhh, listen,” Jaehyun stares high into the sky, cupping one hand around his ear as if to hear better. Jeongguk follows suit, mouth agape and lips slick with salt. The only music is the world awakening.

“It’s beautiful.” 

Jaehyun nods, _feeling_ in a way he never has before. They understand each other. His hold tightens on the boy’s hip. They stay in that spot until their toes prune and seaweed tangles around their shins. Until they disintegrate into the ground and are reborn as waves.

Blips in time, an insignificant moment that changes the course of everything. 

_…_

The painting is old and brown and Jaehyun yawns a little. He rereads the description until it’s burned into his memory. _19th Century, Lawerence._

“I like this one,” Jeongguk voices from two paintings away. His arms are wrapped around his torso and his head is tilted slightly to the left. Looking at the boy, Jaehyun thinks he could do away with every canvas in the gallery.

“Lemme see,” Jaehyun moves closer, sliding his arm around the dip in Jeongguk’s back. Casual touches remain unspoken. They don’t make eye contact, both peering curiously forward. 

It’s the seaside. Of course it is.

There’s a fire building in the boy’s veins the longer he stands there, taking it in. The colors are brighter than the surrounding art, clearly standing out. Waves crash against rocks and the sky lights up in a midday cream. Meaning triumphs rationality in Jaehyun’s mind and he releases a long breath. 

“I want to kiss you. I think about it everyday.” 

Jeongguk twists a little in the hold he’s in, looking up barely an inch. His eyes are alight and he smiles. 

“I think about it too.” 

Jaehyun nods, knowing the younger boy can feel his heartbeat racing faster than his thoughts. They continue down the hallway together, injecting oil smudges with hidden intimations. 

They stay until the museum closes at five, taking with them new words and new feelings. Jaehyun transforms into an Impressionist painter and dedicates all of his works to the shape of Jeongguk’s knuckles. 

_July._

The day drags on and the heat is at a peak. Jaehyun is sweaty and tired and miserable. He’s lying on his back in the grass of the neighborhood park, squeezing his eyes shut only to reopen them, counting the blurry dots in his vision. He’s gotten seven, his record, when a shadow looms over him. 

“Can I join you?” Jeongguk asks, voice gentle as the day he was created. He’s wearing a black t-shirt and Nike shorts, the straps of his backpack lazily falling off his shoulders. Soft. Tremendous. Jaehyun sighs and throws his arm over his face. 

“How’d you find me.” He poses it as more of a statement than a question. 

“Intuition. Gut feeling. Liberation of my higher self.” 

Jaehyun moves his arm, raising one eyebrow up. “Did you ask my mom?” 

“... Maybe.” 

Jeongguk lets his backpack fall and drops onto the empty space next to the older. He knocks their shoes together and waits. The wispy clouds pass without much thought and Jaehyun can hear the sound of Jeongguk picking at the grass.

“I’m feeling lousy.” Jaehyun voices. 

There’s an understanding hum to his left and it’s his turn to wait. He watches the green of the leaves above them, full and yielding a distinct objective. Their goal is clear to them. Jaehyun wonders how easy it would be to exist knowing what you’re existing for. 

The older breathes in deep, the humidity creating condensation in his lungs. It’s so hot. He can’t stand it. Without a response from Jeongguk, Jaehyun leaps up; holding his renewed vigor, he reaches for the boy’s backpack and tosses it over his own shoulder. 

“Let’s go. The ocean won’t wait.” 

_..._

The tide is low today, the water gently washing onto the beach in rhythmic motions. For once, there’s a few people around. A family with little ones building sand castles, an older couple playing with their dog, a man on an afternoon run. Everyone here views the world from their own perspective, a million different realities that don’t align with Jaehyun’s nor Jeongguk’s. 

The two boys walk along the coast, picking up half broken seashells and syenite. They come up against a group of tiny crabs and Jeongguk squats to look closer, a curious smile adorning his face. He loves so much. He loves his mom, regardless of his future. He loves the old thrift shop owner and her dog Molly. He loves Rhode Island and it’s blistering summer. He even loves the sea creatures digging themselves into the wet sand. 

Jaehyun wonders if he’ll ever love him. If someone as divine and beautiful as Jeongguk _could_ love him. He supposes he can’t know for sure. 

“They’re cute,” Jeongguk whispers, a fond expression taking over his brown eyes. He’s got one finger resting lightly in the sand, scooting closer to the crabs. He helps them burrow, as if that sort of kindness was the natural thing to do. 

Jaehyun squats next to the younger, “You’re cute.” 

A crimson appears on Jeongguk’s cheekbones and he does a good job of keeping his cool. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows and his chest expands a little too wide, as if he’s calming himself down. “Shut up.” 

The breeze sways a lock of hair into Jeongguk’s face and Jaehyun takes the chance to tuck it behind his ear, fingers lingering on warm skin. He brushes the pad of his thumb over his cheek, causing the color there to deepen. 

There are millions of books that describe the shape of a lover’s figure or the frequency of their voice. Novels dedicated to the way your other half turns the steering wheel, or how they like their tea. Entire lifetimes of experiences transformed into sentences on paper, the outcome always changing. Jaehyun looks at Jeongguk and feels a library building in his chest. 

“Tell me what Busan is like.” 

Jeongguk wraps those pretty fingers around Jaehyun’s wrist, bringing his palm to his lips. He presses a delicate kiss there, right in the middle. It’s innocent and conveys every word he wishes to say but doesn’t feel the need to. 

“Busan is nothing like Kingstown. It’s all industrial buildings and grey skies. I like it here, there’s color. Flowers and the sun and the grass is always green. People smile at you. After the summer, when my family goes back, I spend weeks looking in the mirror.” 

Jaehyun imagines Jeongguk standing in his bathroom, fresh out of the shower. Naked with water droplets littering his collarbones. He can see the boy poking at the freckles left behind and counting the minutes before the sunburn on his shoulders dissipates. 

“I don’t want to go back,” Jeongguk reveals into the space between them. 

“So don’t.” 

“It’s not that easy.” 

Jaehyun knows. It’s the same reason he stays up late writing application essays and highlighting in business books his father gives him. There’s a special type of devotion a child has to their parents. He’s starting to think he doesn’t want to make anyone proud anymore. 

They continue their walk in silence and Jaehyun grows restless. He slides his hand against Jeongguk’s until their fingers lace together and their veins entangle like roots of a wisteria tree. 

“Come to my house for dinner tonight. Meet my parents.” 

Jeongguk has met his parents in passing, but doesn’t question it. He immediately nods, “Okay. I’ll be there.” 

It’s a promise. 

_…_

The house smells like _Kalguksu_ and nerves. Jaehyun pulls at the collar of his white dress shirt, trying not to feel so out of breath. His mom has been cooking for the past hour and his father is still in a conference call. He smooths his hair for the fifth time, feeling the product in it. He huffs. He’d rather be in swim shorts and Jeongguk’s t-shirt. 

“When will your friend arrive?” Jaehyun’s mother asks, handing him bowls to put on the table. He takes them without protest, being the obedient son he’s meant to be. 

“Soon. I told him six thirty.” 

“Hm,” She dusts her hands off and finally really looks at Jaehyun. She inspects his pants for wrinkles and fixes his wrist cuffs. The boy stands still and lets her, used to this after countless holiday functions and business parties. Her small hands card through his hair, making sure not a piece is out of place. 

There’s a knock at the front door and Jaehyun knows that it’s Jeongguk solely from how timid it sounds. He goes to answer and his mother follows. They pass his father’s office and the sound of fluent English drifts through the walls. Something about the Boston deal and five billion won. 

Jaehyun opens the door and Jeongguk is standing there wearing a black button-up, hair freshly washed and styled. He’s holding a bouquet of bright flowers and Jaehyun wants to kiss him so bad. He smiles at the younger, stepping aside to let him walk into the foyer. It’s the first time Jeongguk has been inside of his summer home and he becomes intensely aware of all the baby pictures he should’ve taken off the walls prior. 

He hands the flowers to Jaehyun’s mother, bowing in respect. She looks pleased by this, her eyes alight with approval. Jaehyun isn’t surprised, anyone would love Jeongguk; it’s impossible not to. He would know. 

“It’s so nice to see you, Mrs. Jung,” Jeongguk says. 

There’s the smallest of smiles on her face, as if that’s all she’s capable of. “Likewise. I’m glad you could join us for dinner.” 

As Jaehyun’s mother goes to put the flowers in water, the boys drink each other in. Jeongguk seems so composed with his appearance but Jaehyun sees right through it. He keeps subtly shaking out his left hand and his chest falls heavily every third breath. 

“Are you nervous?” 

Jeongguk breaks, rapidly nodding his head. “So nervous.”

Jaehyun laughs, stepping forward and cupping his hands on either side of Jeongguk’s face. His fingers gently press against his cheeks, grounding him. The younger’s eyes flutter closed and he takes one last deep breath in, holds it, and releases it. His shoulders fall and Jaehyun leans in to press a kiss in his hair. 

“It’s okay,” Jaehyun reassures, “I won’t let them eat you.” 

“Promise?”

“On the ocean.” 

This calms Jeongguk enough to smile.

They make it through meeting his father, and through quiet small talk over their noodle soup. Jeongguk answers every question thrown at him, responding eloquently despite his anxiety. Halfway through the meal, Jaehyun presses his thigh against the boy’s own under the table. A silent reminder that he’s alive, and safe, and loved without repercussions. 

“What will you do when the summer ends?” Mrs. Jung asks, “Jaehyun is looking at Universities here in America. Will you keep in touch?”

Jaehyun puts his chopsticks down, feeling Jeongguk’s body tense beside him. He hadn’t told him he was leaving Korea. He sighs, waiting for any type of response. When he doesn’t get one and his parent’s look curiously at the pair, Jaehyun speaks up. 

“I haven’t decided on anything yet, mom.” 

“Your acceptance letter from Yale came this morning, Yoon-oh. You’ve decided.” Jaehyun’s father’s voice is firm. 

Jaehyun clenches his hand into a fist, lips in a straight line. Jeongguk is still silent, as if making a sound will end the future they never had. He hates this so much. “Just because you went to Yale, dad-”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” 

Jaehyun doesn’t. He stares at the table cloth and allows himself to become poetry clay. He’ll talk when told and smile when asked. The handle to his mug fits someone else’s fingers. 

His parents seem content with his silence and continue eating their meal, as if the issue never occurred. Jaehyun has lost his appetite and isn’t sure it’s ever coming back. He nearly forgets Jeongguk is sat at the table with them until he feels a soft touch on the skin of his hand, fingers gently prying his fist loose. He watches the tan knuckles lace with his own. 

_…_

“Your parents are… “ Jeongguk trails off. 

They’re walking down the street after dinner, the sky lit up with the hues of sunset. The top buttons of their fancy dress shirts are undone and they shook out their hair the second they descended the steps to the sidewalk. 

“I know.” Jaehyun replies, sighing. 

Jeongguk kicks at a pebble, sending it into the grass. He has a rain cloud hovering over his head, dripping into his expression and pushing his shoulders down. Jaehyun doesn’t know what to say. 

“Is it true?”

“About Yale?” Jaehyun asks, “Yes. No. I got accepted, but I don’t want to go.” 

Jeongguk nods, as if he’s contemplating something much richer than words can explain. “It seemed like you didn’t have a choice.” 

Jaehyun never had a choice. This future has always been chosen for him. 

Jeongguk speaks again, his voice small, “I applied to Boston. I was going to tell you this morning, when I went to find you.” 

The older boy stops in his tracks, facing the younger. A bit of hope blossoms in his otherwise icy chest. “You did?” 

“I got in.” 

Jaehyun laughs, and then Jeongguk laughs with him. They move together, hugging in the middle of the road. Jaehyun pushes his face into the crook of Jeongguk’s neck, breathing him in. He smells like summer and fresh laundry. 

They end up at the shore, under the moon. The light cascades off of Jeongguk’s smile and Jaehyun sneaks a picture of him. Maybe it isn’t as confusing as Jaehyun always feels like it is. 

_August._

The summer is nearing an end. 

Jaehyun’s mom has started to clean their summer home, putting everything back where it belongs. All of the laundry is being rewashed, the suitcases dragged out of their temporary places. They came and eventually they will go. That’s how it’s been since he was a child. 

For the first time, Jaehyun is dreading his flight back to Seoul. 

Jeongguk lies beside him on his twin mattress, playing with Jaehyun’s fingers. He traces the lines of his palm and glides over every knuckle. They aren’t speaking, but letting the breeze talk and the background hum of a lawn mower be the soundtrack to their afternoon. It’s comfortable and Jaehyun can’t imagine being anywhere else. 

“You leave a week from now,” Jeongguk whispers, as if he doesn’t want to be heard. 

“And you leave three days after me,” Jaehyun looks down at the boy, memorizing the color of his lips and the way his nose scrunches. He still hasn’t kissed him. He still hasn’t kissed him. 

“This is the best summer I’ve ever had.” 

Jaehyun smiles into Jeongguk’s hair. This boy is so kind and full of love. He’s observant and smart and Jaehyun is lucky he met him. He doesn’t have any regrets. 

“I have a surprise for you.” 

Jeongguk raises his eyebrows, turning to lay on Jaehyun’s chest. He rests his chin on his forearm, big doe eyes telling Jaehyun to continue. The lawn mower stops and starts back up again.

“Meet me by our rock at 5 tomorrow night. Bring an overnight bag,” Jaehyun doesn’t elaborate and Jeongguk doesn’t ask him to. He smiles and starts talking about how excited he is, and if he can borrow Jaehyun’s sweater. 

He’s going to kiss him. Tomorrow night, by the ocean. 

_…_

There are still a few people littering the beach, waiting for sunset with their loved ones. It’s quiet and calm, the perfect scene. Sitting on the boulder, Jaehyun thinks it couldn’t get better. Then he glances away from the water and spots Jeongguk walking towards him and that’s all the confirmation he needs that it definitely can. He’s got his bare feet kicking through the sand and his sneakers dangling from his left hand. He’s everything all at once. 

Jaehyun hops down and runs to meet him. The second Jeongguk registers, he drops his shoes and opens his arms, letting himself be tackled to the ground. They tumble through the sand, taking turns regaining dominance. After a while Jeongguk ends up sitting on Jaehyun’s torso, pinning his wrists on either side of his head. Their laughter dies down and with their faces so close, Jaehyun thinks this is it. He’s going to kiss him. 

He’s nearly there, eyes flickering from the boy’s bright eyes to his mouth. Just one movement and they’d be touching after so long. One second more, he’s regaining his breath. When he breathes out, he’ll kiss him. He will. 

“Fuck’s sake,” Jeongguk laughs. He leans down and presses his lips against Jaehyun’s. The sun begins to set in the background, but neither of them take notice. The waves gently swoop into the shore and the seagulls fly above. 

Jaehyun wiggles his arm out from Jeongguk’s hold, bringing his hand up to tangle his fingers in the boy’s hair. He kisses him like he needs it, and maybe he does. 

They kiss until their necks cramp and oxygen becomes necessary. Jaehyun could do that for the rest of his life, fuck Yale, fuck his father’s business. Fuck the fancy cars and the paid off mortgage. Jeongguk’s bottom lip is swollen from Jaehyun nibbling on it and he presses his thumb to it. 

“Pretty.” 

Jeongguk hides his face in Jaehyun’s neck. “Have I mentioned I hate you lately?”

“Not since last month.” 

“I hate you.” 

Jaehyun brings Jeongguk’s head back up, kissing him gently once more. “I have a feeling you don’t.” 

Jeongguk tries to roll his eyes but he can’t help but smile. “What do you know anyway?” 

“I know you,” Jaehyun says without missing a beat, “Better than I know anything.” 

It’s true. 

_…_

“Jaehyun,” Jeongguk drags out the name with a pout, “I didn’t bring bug spray.” 

“Once we get the fire started we won’t need it,” Jaehyun continues placing rocks in a circle, creating a place for the branches and leaves to be contained. He brushes his hands off when he’s finished, digging through his bag for the lighter fluid and matches he stole from his garage. 

They’re in a little patch of woods beside the beach. They’re technically trespassing, but neither of them care. They have a tent set up and Jaehyun brought snacks and a poetry book he thought Jeongguk would like. It’s going to be the last night they spend together before they’re preoccupied with packing and boarding passes. 

Once the fire is lit, Jaehyun joins Jeongguk on the blanket, wrapping his arm around the boy’s shoulders. They talk. 

They talk about their childhoods, what sports they played growing up, where they want to retire. Jeongguk tells Jaehyun his first and only supernatural experience, and Jaehyun spends twenty minutes interrupting to ask if the boy just heard footsteps too. 

They laugh and reveal secrets and Jaehyun has never cared this much about another human being before. He’s dizzy with it. The stars shine brighter in the night sky every time Jeongguk smiles with his teeth. 

When the embers of the fire start to dwindle out and the air becomes frigid, they retreat into the tent. Under the warmth of the blankets and their shared body heat, Jeongguk asks a simple question. 

“Do you believe in soulmates?”

Jaehyun ponders it for a while. So long that Jeongguk lifts his head to make sure the older is still awake. “I think… even if soulmates didn’t exist, if life really was unpredictable and untamed, I’d still find you in every lifetime.” 

“Every single one?”

Jaehyun laughs. “I’d love you even if you were a single daisy in a field. I’d be the bee perched on your petal.”

“I want you to kiss me now,” Jeongguk says without hesitation, like he could cry if Jaehyun’s lips weren’t attached to his in seconds. 

He kisses him and the distant sound of the ocean reminds them that they’ve found each other in this life, and that’s enough. 

_September._

“Jaehyun!” Mrs. Jung calls out from the bottom of the stairs. They’ve been back home for a month now and Jaehyun has been busy. Returning to Seoul meant working that much harder to leave. 

“I’m coming!” He calls back, dropping his pen on his notebook and standing up from his desk. He glances at the framed picture he has of Jeongguk, the one he took the night the boy told him he got accepted to Boston. 

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, his mother stands there with an unreadable expression. She’s holding a decently sized letter package and Jaehyun’s hands start to shake. He knows what it is and he thinks he might pass out. 

His mother hands off the envelope, motioning for him to open it and crossing her arms. He reads the sender, immediately reading it again. 

_Harvard University_

_Massachusetts Hall_

_Cambridge, MA 02138_

_USA_

With trembling fingers, he breaks the seal. His eyes skim, catching key words and phrases. 

_Jung Yoonoh, careful consideration, excited to inform you, acceptance._

“I got in.” Jaehyun whispers, releasing the breath he was holding in, “Mom, I- I got into Harvard.” 

He has to tell Jeongguk. Without waiting for his mother’s response, he dashes back up the stairs. He hears her call out after him, but his blood is pumping so hard in his ears that it doesn’t matter. 

His hands are still wavering when he grabs his phone, searching for Jeongguk’s contact. It rings twice before the younger answers, a happy hello sounding through the line. 

“I got into Harvard,” Jaehyun doesn’t waste any time, “Guk, I got accepted.” 

“Are you serious?” Jeongguk asks with a smile, laughing in disbelief, “Oh my God, you’re serious. You did it.” 

Jaehyun smiles back, biting his lip, “I did it.” 

Jeongguk spends the next hour gushing about how proud he is, how excited he is to only be a ride away during college. Jaehyun hangs off his bed while they talk, his cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. Halfway through the call, his mother gently knocks on his bedroom door, stepping in to set a bowl of cut up fruit on his desk. It’s his favorite. 

They make eye contact and for the first time in years, she smiles at him. 

Jaehyun thinks, in that moment, with the boy he loves laughing in his ear and the woman who raised him looking as if she couldn’t possibly be prouder, life is good. Life is really good. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading !!! <3


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